Hal G. Evarts (August 24, 1887 - October 18, 1934) was an American short story writer and novelist. Born in Kansas, he explored the West extensively soaking up everything about the natural world. Hal eventually wrote about his experiences and knowledge in his best-selling Western novels and magazine short stories. Several of his books were adapted to film.
Early life
Named Harry at birth, he was quickly nicknamed Hal. His father, George, died of typhoid fever when he was 12 days old. His mother, Emma, and sister, Nellie, were left to raise the restless boy.
From an early age, Hal was much more interested in exploring the thick forests and creeks around Topeka than spending time in the classroom. He spent much of his free time studying the ways of the varied wildlife and their environment. He dropped out of school in the 9th grade.
Hal was a teenager when his mother married a wealthy man from Hutchinson, Kansas. Emma and her new husband departed on a 3-year-long trip around the world, leaving Hal in Hutchinson with his strait-laced aunt and uncle. Hal's guns, animal traps, duck decoys, and life style appalled his no-nonsense aunt and uncle. So, at age 16, he left town and headed south to Oklahoma.
"Gypsy around the country"
For months, Hal and a friend camped along the Arkansas River hunting ducks and trapping muskrats, raccoons, and mink. In early 1904, he spent seven months on a Santa Fe railroad survey crew in Indian Territory of Oklahoma. That summer Hal took off with another friend to follow the harvest north to the Dakotas, working 18 hour days on threshing and haying crews until winter set in and he returned to the Arkansas River to hunt and trap.
